AFRO-NETS> Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report-Mon, 16 July 2001

[Cecilia Snyder <csnyder@ccmc.org>]

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report-Mon, 16 July 2001
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*Demonstrators Outside United Nations Urge Vatican to Fight Sexual
  Abuse of Nuns
*Germany Gives $131 Million to Global AIDS Fund


Demonstrators Outside United Nations Urge Vatican to Fight Sexual
Abuse of Nuns

Demonstrators gathered outside the United Nations' New York headquar-
ters Saturday to call on the Vatican and Pope John Paul II to make
greater efforts toward fighting the "sexual abuse of nuns by priests"
in Africa and around the world, the New York Times reports. The pro-
testers included representatives from a "range of religious and femi-
nist groups" who argued that the Vatican has been aware of the prob-
lem of sexual abuse among nuns for "several years," but has "done
nothing to combat the problem." In March, the Vatican publicly ac-
knowledged the issue after several reports by senior members of reli-
gious orders for women detailed accounts of such abuses (Flanders,
New York Times, 7/15). The five reports, which were published in the
National Catholic Reporter, stated that cases of sexual abuse against
nuns have been re- ported in at least 23 countries. One report stated
that women were sometimes "forced" by priests into sexual liaisons in
order to obtain certificates or recommendations needed for work in a
diocese. The report also stated that priests "recommend[ed]" that
nuns use contraception, sometimes telling the women that oral con-
traceptives would prevent the transmission of HIV. The reports also
stated that some nuns have become pregnant by priests and "forced to
have abortions." According to the Times, the reports added that
priests in Africa often live in "isolated" areas and fear contracting
HIV from prostitutes and "other high-risk groups," but perceive nuns
as "safe sexual partners" who do not carry the virus (Kaiser Daily
HIV/AIDS Report, 3/21). The 70 protesters who assembled yesterday
presented a petition to the Vatican's Permanent Observer Mission at
the United Nations "demanding" that the Church "reveal what it has
done to combat sexual abuse of the nuns" and show cooperation "with
civil authorities so that priests accused of abuse can be tried in
the courts of the countries where the abuse took place." The demon-
strators also called on the Church to both reinstate nuns who were
dismissed because they became pregnant by priests and provide finan-
cial support for children fathered by priests. Shortly after the
publication of the reports, Joaquin Navarro Valls, a spokesperson
for the pope, said that the incidents occurred in a "restricted geo-
graphical area" and "must not overshadow the often heroic faith of
the overwhelming majority of religious nuns and priests" (New York
Times, 7/15).

---

Global Challenges

Germany Gives $131 Million to Global AIDS Fund

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said on Friday that Germany will
contribute $131 million to the U.N. Global AIDS Fund to fight AIDS,
the Associated Press reports. U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan, who proposed
the fund in April and hopes it will garner between $7 and $10 billion
annually from countries and private donors, said of Germany's
pledge, "I hope it will inspire others to follow. This is not a fund
only for governments ... this is a struggle which we are all en-
gaged in" (Associated Press, 7/13).


The Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report is published for kaisernetwork.org,
a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, by National
Journal Group Inc.c 2001 by National Journal Group Inc. and Kaiser
Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Contact daily reports staff editorial
Tel:202-672-5952
Fax:202-672-5767
Mailto:dailyreports@kaisernetwork.org


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